[Julia’s career as a daytime television host self-destructs, but is it her fault entirely? With a “lacquered and sneering” co-anchor, a team of male executives breathing down her neck, and a younger, prettier anchor (in a tight-fitting dress, no less) waiting in the wings, who wouldn’t feel pressured to take an on-air risk?
 
Her sister Ginny, meanwhile, is in Arizona, lingering over farmstand produce, pinching her pennies, and wondering where in the world her daughter – the sole waitress for that evening’s supper club – is.]

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We won’t lie. We snatched up The Second Chance Supper Club (SCSC) for its foodie cover and some much-desired culinary prose. Because who doesn’t love a good food read?

Luckily – at least this time – our eyes didn’t entirely lead us astray. In the case of SCSC, you really can judge a book by its cover. This aptly named food-lover’s tale of two sisters is warm and readable, as the cover suggests. And the sumptuous descriptions are at times enticing enough to lick right off the page.

Yet, while the story centers on Julia and Ginny, estranged sisters who reconnect when – unbeknownst to either of them – both their careers are on the line, it doesn’t shy away from issues such as ageism, sexism, and single motherhood. Rather, the plot advances precisely because Meier chooses to anchor her story at the very heart of these relevant issues.

SCSC opens slowly and, to be honest, a little weakly. But the writing improves as we eventually learn of broadcast journalist Julia’s desperate struggle to stay relevant when a “younger model” turns up and threatens her job. Fearing she’ll be replaced because – as a woman in her late thirties – she’s just not “current” anymore, Julia makes a reckless on-air move.

Suspended for her unprofessionalism, she retreats to rural Arizona and the home of her sister Ginny, turning up on Ginny’s doorstep just in time to tie on an apron, pick up a tray, and rescue her server-less head chef big sis at that evening’s supper club.

The women are reunited in time to help one another find “second chances” with their careers and their personal lives. Of course, it doesn’t all unfold smoothly at first. They argue and blame, but eventually — well, you know how it goes from there…

But we like this book because Meier offers readers a bit more than a conventional story about two sisters, their struggles, and their happy endings. And she doesn’t rely on romance to pull it off. In the characters Julia and Ginny, Meier paints a picture familiar to many women. Phrases like younger model hint at the objectification and pressure Julia experiences as a television anchor in her late thirties.

Eldest sibling Ginny must sacrifice her career and relationship to shoulder the burden of managing her family’s estate when their parents are killed, yet that’s not the only reason she left New York. Like many talented artists (in this case, culinary), she was tired of answering to a thankless boss and wanted the freedom to start her own restaurant.

As a single mother to Olive, Ginny is also a co-parent, as it were, with Olive’s laissez-faire father, who’s provided virtually no financial support yet has long been cherished by rebellious twenty-one-year-old Olive as the ‘fun’ parent, the artist and creator, the one who actually ‘gets’ her. Another story thread many readers will recognize.

Because Meier takes on such themes, this title would make an excellent book club pick. Sure, readers will quibble over the writing (we did). But they can also savor the foodie fare and dig deep into the timely and important issues simmering behind the scenes in Ginny’s kitchen at the Second Chance Supper Club.

Disclosure: NetGalley provided us an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are our own.

I must say there was a quiet triumph about this novel.the victory of family that hangs together to prove blood is thicker. Olive,Julia,Ginny, each making their way and and surviving scandal and heartache . For Julia she’s running an underground dinner house and through no fault of her own succeeds to attract an influential food blogger whose review helps this character establish a place of her own at last. Olive is the daughter enchanted by a father who dances to his own drummer well past his bad boy prime. It takes a lot for this daughter to see her father as human and flawed.Last we have Ginny running to her sister in Arizona trying to make sense of her fall from grace through the ill timed response of the mayors supposed illegal activities. I liked the back and forth of the story revealing each characters take on story movement and providing insight into each section as it unfolded.

I liked this book. I liked the descriptions of the food and of the house in Arizona. I felt as if I was almost there, living alongside Ginny, Julia and Olive. It felt like home and the food made me feel very hungry! I loved the descriptions of the food markets and flower sellers. But best of all was the way in which the fractured relationship between the two sisters (Ginny and Julia) came to be healed.
Julia is a rising star in television news in New York until she makes a mistake and  suggests the NYC mayor is corrupt. Ginny used to be a successful chef in the city too but she moved back to the desert when their parents were killed unexpectedly in a road accident.
Julia carried on with her career and left Ginny to sort everything out. Julia didn't appreciate just how much her older sister had sacrificed and she lost sight of the importance of family.
Ginny, in debt, and scared that her underground dining experience in her own home, Mesquite, could be exposed  is at constant loggerheads with her daughter Olive who has to help her, for hardly any money, in the home 'restaurant'. Ginny's stress is palpable.
When Julia is asked to take 4 weeks leave from GBN because of the disgrace she is in, she decides to visit Ginny and Olive in Arizona, not knowing what type of reception to expect.
The story looks at both women's perspectives of the same events until things start to improve and the three women become a unit. A fiance is ditched along the way and a new love interest appears but the real beauty of this book is the happiness and joy both Ginny and Julia experience as they reconnect and support one another.
The ending was all roses around the door. I wouldn't have expected anything else. Perhaps a bit predictable and a bit too 'neat' but hey, there's enough gloom and doom in the real world, not to put in a happy ending here and there! For sisters everywhere, appreciate one another!

I found this book hard to get into. I loved the idea of the book and generally, love "second chance" stories. Especially when they follow families/sisters. This book moved very slowly and the characters never really felt like people. I was sorely disappointed.

Nicole Meier, author of The Second Chance Supper Club, has written an intriguing, emotional and captivating novel. 

This is a delightful told story of the fragile bonds between mothers, daughters, and estranged sisters. Set in the picturesque Arizona desert, I really admired the way Nicole Meier vividly describes the characters, landscape and food. Sisters Ginny and Julia must cope with betrayal and loss whilst working together at a secret supper club along with Ginny's daughter, Olive. The covert club, complete with its unique, rich blend of eclectic guests, charm and delectable meals, is the perfect backdrop for the three of them to begin to reconnect and find acceptance and forgiveness. A lovely read and highly recommended.


I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Sometimes It Takes Losing Everything To Find Everything. Not that I haven't lived this before. Not at all. Yes, this story of two sisters awkwardly reconnecting 3 yrs after a major fight that left them not speaking to each other somehow managed to resonate with a guy who only has brothers. ;) Seriously, great job from new-to-me author Nicole Meier in crafting a very readable and relatable tale, that admittedly I wanted to stop reading at one point because it got a bit *too* real and brought back some difficult memories of my own. Hallmarkies and/ or foodies in particular will get a kick out of this one, but a strong book for any crowd I've ever come across. This is due to Meier's skill in focusing on the very human even while also relishing the particulars she has set in motion here. Very much recommended.

Family relationships can be difficult at times, and are often hard to repair. I really enjoyed reading about this relationship and how things worked out. Good story and believable characters. Definitely recommend.

The Second Chance Supper club isn't the first novel written with this premise and I suspect it wont be the last.  However, the relationships in this book are different, strained from the very beginning which was a different twist for me. 

A pair of estranged sisters with one of them having a surly daughter.  Julia is a broadcast journalist who has a situation brewing with her network, so she pays her sister Ginny, the owner of a supper club a surprise and unwelcome visit.  Ginny has a lot on her plate so to speak with keeping her business afloat, so she needs her sister and surly daughter to help her with her business.  It turned out to be a much better book than I expected it to be and after a few chapters I started to get more involved in the storyline and actually started to like the characters more than I first thought I would.

I'm glad I continued to read this one because it's a sweet read that gets better.
I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a captivating story of healing and reconnecting. When Julia's career implodes in a huge way, she escapes to her home state of Arizona to regroup. She and her sister Ginny haven't spoken in three years but Julia is following her instincts and shows up unexpectedly at her sister's door. Ginny, meanwhile, is under intense financial pressure and her unending conflicts with her 21 year old daughter Olive exacerbate the feelings. The last thing she needs is her selfish little sister in her way making things worse. 

I love how real this book feels. Julia and Ginny have a lot of hurt and anger to work through, even as they remember how much they love each other and forge a tenuous new connection. Things aren't smoothed over in an instant but old resentments bubble out from time to time. Ginny and Olive also can't seem to communicate without attacking each other, both resentful of the other for various reasons. But Julia is a good buffer between them and helps them to connect again as well.

I was so relieved that this is not a romance, either. There is a hint of something to come in the life of one character, but it doesn't happen before the book ends and I am so glad. This is a story of family and forgiveness. Throwing in a gratuitous love story would take away from the beauty that is Julia and Ginny's story.

I enjoyed this book, it was an easy read with engaging characters.   Would read the author again.  Thank you.

Two sisters have become estranged after the death of their parents, but a career crisis has led Julia to show up on her older sister's doorstep in hopes of repairing their relationship as she takes time out from her problems. Ginny also has her hands full dealing with her daughter and running a secret supper club in her Arizona home. The three women are forced to work together to keep the supper club running smoothly as they each grapple with their relationships and decide what they truly want out of life. This book is a great choice for anyone who needs a food-related book for a reading challenge. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review.

The Second Chance Supper Club is a story of second chances (of course!), sisters, forgiveness, starting over, and hope, mixed in with some delicious food. 
Julia and Ginny Frank used to be close, but when the death of their parents sent them on different paths, the anger, hurt, and resentment combined for a three year separation. Julia has a successful career, but the stress she faces keeping it together causes her to make a potentially career-ending mistake. Knowing she needs space and a chance to re-evaluate, she goes to the only place she can think of: her sister’s.
Ginny Frank was a successful chef in New York packed up her daughter and returned to Arizona to deal with her parents’ estate. She still loves her career as a chef and is trying to make a private supper club successful. The stress of trying to make it work is taking its toll on her and straining her relationship with her daughter, Olive. The last thing she needs is her sister showing up and stirring up all her anger and resentment to add to the stress.  Or maybe, it’s just what they all need.  
Full of good food and strong women, this novel was a delightful visit with women I would love to know. It was a joy getting to know the Frank women and watch them find their strength to move forward as well as rebuild their relationships with each other.
#TheSecondChanceSupperClub #NicoleMeier #LakeUnionPublishing

Ginny and her younger sister Julia haven’t spoken for three years, ever since Ginny left New York City and her prestigious career as a highly sought-after chef to attend to all the arrangements needed after their parents’ untimely death. Both sisters have harbored hurt and anger toward each other over their respective feelings of grief and abandonment. When Julia needs a breather from a fallout at her high-profile news anchor job, the first place she can think to turn is Arizona and her sister and niece, Olive. Will the women be able to put their hurts to rest and repair their relationship?


Ok, to be completely honest, I was THIS close to marking this one as DNF. I was a whole THIRD of the way into the book and just couldn't slog my way through the third-person cyclically redundant helping of blame and shuttered vulnerability that each sister whined about in each chapter. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a healthy dose of drama and anguish to set up a conundrum of "Will they or won't they be able to work this out?!?!" but it was just too heavy handed. 

Because I'm supremely stubborn, I revisited the positive reviews and decided to keep reading. And I was glad that I did. I still didn't enjoy the first 1/3 of the book, and I'd be hesitant to recommend it to someone with that disclaimer, but at least the end wrapped things up nicely for the three women.

The foodie descriptions were mouth watering and enticing - I would love a plate of whatever Ginny whips up in the kitchen! Ah, and the Arizona setting felt earthy and inviting, the way family does. Those elements were so tangible and exquisite, and they really breathed life into the story. The characters were very relatable (I have a sister and we can both relate to letting each other down and helping build each other back up), and overall I'm happy to have stuck with it and finished the book. Can't leave a sister when she's down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting story about two estranged sisters finding their way back to each other. I enjoyed this book that had family drama, good food and second chances. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

The Second Chance Supper Club was such a heartwarming novel filled with family drama, long standing issues between the sisters and a young woman trying to find her place in the world. This story was about second chances for all the main characters.

Each of the characters were realistic and well rounded, the kind of people I'd like to meet and talk with. I definitely enjoyed the interactions between the women and cheered as they slowly starting taking steps to meet each other in the middle.

If you enjoy stories about people overcoming their past, working toward a better relationship with others and/or second chances, this is the story for you.

I was excited to be given an ARC at my request. Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley. My thoughts are my own and happily given. I definitely enjoyed this book.

The Second Chance Supper Club by Nicole Meier is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early September.

Julia lives a fast-paced life, threatened to be replaced as a host on a morning TV show unless she rebrands herself. Meanwhile, her sister Ginny lives across the country in a state of culinary bliss, rather a lot like how Disney’s Belle feels about books. From there, there's predictable third-person chapters of the sisters meeting up on Ginny’s turf, being defensive, masking their vulnerability, and struggling to be heard and understood.

After the death of her parents in a horrific car crash, Ginny leaves her chef position in New York and flies’ home to Arizona to take care of their arrangements and affairs.  Meanwhile, younger sister Julia continues to live in New York living her best life with a great position on the morning show Daybreak.  Um, that is until 3 years later and without thought, she corners one of the shows guests with uncollaborated questioning into certain activities. With the threat of legal action, she is put on a leave from the show for 4 weeks.   
On a whim and without notice to her estranged sister Ginny, Julia packs up and flies to Arizona, leaving her fiancé and New York behind her.  When she arrives, she is thrown into the middle of Ginny’s chaotic life, filled with a mother/daughter conflict and a not-to-code restaurant business (aka “secret supper club”).  You see, when Ginny’s daughter storms out during the supper service, Julie is given no choice but to throw on her best customer service face and help her desperate sister just in time to get through the supper rush. 
Almost immediately, Julie realizes that her older sister has turned into a strong independent uptight mother, who is over-flowing in debt, AND is still angry at Julia for dumping all her parents’ affairs on her. 
In an effort to keep the business afloat and undercover; Julie, Ginny and her daughter Olive slowly air out their feelings and soon Ginny’s impossibly strong façade slowly crumbles. 
 The great thing about The Second Chance Supper Club is seeing how three independent women, who were in different stages of their lives, quickly find themselves fighting through their personal issues and helping each other find their true worth. A fantastic read, one to share with the women in your life.  Also, a perfect fall book, one you can easily curl up by the fire with a hot tea in hand.

3.5 stars 
An enjoyable read about sisterhood and delicious dishes. 
Sometimes we take decisions in a whirlwind and that doesn’t always works for our future and when a difficult situation appears, the only person that you can go to it’s your own sister. That’s what happens in this story. 
I enjoyed the food and how the relationship between them was taken to some extent that was pushing limits for a real person in real life. 
It’s a good story overall but unfortunately for me it’s not that memorable.

Julia has been an anchor for aa morning tv show. She asks the mayor a question without getting her facts together and this puts her on suspension from her job. James, her fiance is out of town and she just needs to get away to think things out. Her sister, Ginny is running an underground dinner club in Arizona. Ginny's daughter Olive is helping but reluctantly. Thew three of them being together after so many years apart seems to bring them closer and brings clarity to each of their futures.

Two sisters separated by time, distance and lifestyles are brought back together during a tough Time in each of their lives. They are getting a second chance to be there for each other and rebuild the relationship they had damaged years prior as their parents passed.